Holder for electric lights, telephones, and the like.



- 0. W. SPRAGUE. v v HOLDER FOR ELECTRIC LIGHTS, TELEPHONES, AND THE LIKE.

I APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4, 1909. 1,025,026. Patented Apr. 30, 1912. v

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

' atkwmu c. w. SPRAGUE. HOLDER FOR ELECTRIC LIGHTS, TELEPHONES, AND THE LIKE.

- APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4, 1909. 1,025,026. Patented Apr. 30,1912.

2 SHEETSSHEE T 2.

w 55 MM 1.4M

23% Human CLARENCE W. SPRAGUE,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

HOLDER FOR ELECTRIC LIGHTS, TELEPHONES, AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented A r. 30, 1912.

Application filed June 4, 1909. Serial No. 500,093.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, CLARENCE W. SPRAGUE, citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Holders for Electric Lights, Telephones, and the Like, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to improvements in holders for electric lights, telephones, and the like.

The object of my invention is to provide a support of this character in which the electric light, telephone or lamp can be suspended from the ceiling and vertically adjusted and held in its adjusted position.

Another object of my invention is to provide a more simple, cheap and efficient support having certain details of structure whereby ready access may be had to working parts of the support and yet providing the proper protecting canopy.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved support showing an electric light bulb supported thereby. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the reel-supporting yoke. Fig. 4 is a side elevation showing the casing in section. Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view showing a modified form of canopy. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the drum showing the several parts separated.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 represents a yoke made preferably of cast metal and composed of the central inwardly extending enlarged circular portion 2 having the upwardly extending arms 3 and 4, and the downwardly extending arm 5. The circular portion 2 of the yoke is provided with an outwardly extending stud or shaft 6, formed integral therewith or may be formed as a separate part and riveted or otherwise secured thereto and extending in a horizontal plane. The outer periphery of the circular portion 2 is provided with a notch 7 which will be hereinafter more fully described. The upper ends of the arms 3 and 4 are provided with laterally extending portions 8 and 9 extending in a horizontal plane and provided with openings 10 by means of which the yoke is secured to the ceiling 11, as shown in Fig. 2. The outer edges 11 of the laterally turned portions are in the arc of a circle and are provided with grooves 12 provided at their inner ends with recesses 13, by means of which the circular canopy can be secured thereon as will be later de-- scribed. Mounted loosely upon said stud 6, is a drum 14 which is of a hollow form and having therein a helical spring 15, having one end rigidly attached to the stud 6, as

indicated at 16, and the opposite or outer- 'same is firmly clamped between the ends 17 and 19. The drum is secured on the stud 6 by the washer 25 and the cotter pin 26, whereby it is free to rotate thereon.

The screws or bolts 19 and 21 on the outside of the end 17 of the drum are pro vided with loosely pivoted pawls 27 and 28, which are adapted to drop into the notch 7 of the circular disk 2, and hold the drum in its adjusted or rotated position. The end of thedrum is provided with studs 29 and 30, which are adjacent the pawls and whereby the outward movement of the pawl is limited, as shown in Fig. 4, and the pawls by force of gravity drop into the notch when they reach a position above the disk 2. Secured to the drum and wound thereon is a cable 31, which when pulled downwardly unwinds and causes the drum to rotate on the pin 6 against the tension of the spring. When the tension on the cable is released, one or the other pawl 27 or 28 enters the notch 7 and holds the drum against unwinding. The strength of the spring 15 is suchas to support the light, telephone or the like, and whereby it will not move downwardly when the pawl has locked the drum against unwinding.

When it is desired to release or wind the drum to raise the light, 'etc., a downward pull is given the cable and by quickly releasing the cable the drum rotates rapidly and by centrifugal force the pawls are thrown outwardly so that they will not enter the notch 7 and thus the drum is rapidly rotated and the cable wound thereon. When the cable has been wound the proper amount by holding the cable, the rotation of the drum is stopped and one of the pawls allowed to drop so that it will enter the notch 7 and hold the drum against rotation. The lower end of the arm 5 is provided with an outwardly extending pin or shaft 82, upon which is mounted a spool 33 held there on by the cotter pin 34, and over which the cable passes in order to have a straight vertical pull on the cable as shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

In order to protect and hide the drum and form a more finished article, I provide a canopy 35 of a cylindrical form and having a spherical lower end provided with the opening 36, through which the cable passes said opening being surrounded by a beading 37 to prevent wear on the cable. The upper end of the canopy is open and of a size to snugly fit the curved outer faces 11 of the lateral portions 8 and 9, and the inner face of the canopy is provided on opposite sides wit-h the inwardly extending pins 38 and 39 which enter the grooves or slots 12, from the ends and by turning the canopy the pins travel within the grooves and drop down into the recesses 13, and the canopy is locked in said position. By this arrangement it will be seen that the canopy can be readily removed and by removing the cotter pin 26, the drum can be removed from the pin 6 and any necessary repairs made. The removal of the canopy also exposes the screws 40 by means of which the yoke is secured to the ceiling and whereby it may be readily secured or removed from the ceiling. In some cases where it is desired to place the support close to the wall, I construct the yoke so that a flat sided canopy, as shown in Fig. 5, can be used. In such cases the fiat side 41 of the canopy rests against the outer flat face of the yoke and as the same can be oscillated to lock it thereon, I provide a screw 42 screwed into the opening 43 in the yoke whereby the canopy may also be readily removed for the purpose heretofore set forth. The lower end of the cable is provided with a hook or clamp 4-1, which is adapted to hook into the electric light wire adjacent the globe, as shown in Fig. l, and whereby the light is raised or lowered without any wear whatever to the electric supply wires. The device as heretofore stated is adapted to support a telephone, a lamp or any desirable device without departing from my invention.

Having thus described my invention,

what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A support of the character described, comprising a yoke having arms provided with laterally turned upper ends having their outer faces in the arc of a circle, the said outer surface having bayonet slots, an enlarged circular laterally extending portion formed integral with the yoke and having a notch in its upper face, a shaft carried by the center of the enlarged portion and integral therewith, a spring drum mounted upon said shaft and composed of ends connected by transverse bolts, a bearing portion between said web and resting upon said bolts, a helical spring within the bearing portion and secured to the shaft and the opposite end secured to one of the bolts, and pawls loosely mounted upon two oppositely arranged bolts on the outside of the end and adapted to engage the notch in the yoke, and a cable wound upon the drum and having its free end carrying a light.

2. A support of the character described,

comprising a yoke having arms provided with laterally turned upper ends having outer faces in the arc of a circle, the said outer surface having bayonet slots, an en larged circular laterally extending portion formed integral with the yoke and having a notch in its upper face, a shaft carried by the center of the enlarged portion and integral therewith, a spring drum mounted upon said shaft and composed of ends connected by transverse bolts, a bearing portion between said web and resting upon said bolts, a helical spring within the bearing portion and secured to the shaft and se cured to one of the bolts, pawls loosely mounted upon two oppositely arranged bolts on the outside of the end and adapted to engage the notch in the yoke, a laterally extending shaft formed integral with the lower end of the stem of the yoke, a roller rotatably mounted upon said shaft, a cable wound upon the drum and having free ends passing down over the roller and carrying a light and a canopy having inwardly extending pins interlocking with the bayonet slots in the laterally turned ends of the yoke.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CLARENCE IV. SPRAGUE. Witnesses:

IVILLIS E. HAINLEY, G120. L. NIOKERSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

